On my way to the TED conference last week, I devoured Jay Frank’s book Futurehit.dna on the plane. Jay has some great insights into the past, present and future of songwriting and hit making that we can all learn from. This is a must read if you are composing for the digital age and trying to gain an edge and find exposure opportunities for listeners.
Jay breaks it down for us on the impact of technology on songwriting and how hits of the past have been carefully crafted to fit into radio airplay on to the iPod, Pandora and streaming era. His insights into how song form, intros, chord changes, repeats, hooks and other techniques connect a good song with a listener are invaluable.
With today’s digital music is it crucial to catch your listeners attention in the first seven seconds of the song. After that, repeats are key as well as how the complexity of the song changes over time. Some of this is old news, but the way he relates it to the technology platforms is interesting and valuable.
How you release music and in what form will determine your chances that your songs will be listened to and remembered enough to make an impact.
Technical, detailed, clear and concise Futurehit.dna will get you thinking about how to create a competitive advantage for you and your music in the days ahead. Highly recommended food for though.
